Triangulation
by Fanfiction Nerd
Summary: Draco and Hermione are head boy and girl their 7th year, but Draco seems to be acting civil...What would cause this change in his demeanor? And why does it seem like Ron keeps trying to tell Hermione something? HrDR love triangle fic. R&R! FINAL CHAPTER!
1. Dormitory

Hermione quietly unpacked her chest, fidgeting nervously with her hair and spreading the corners of her already neat sheets on her bed as she waited for him. Of all the students at Hogwarts, the person elected as Head Boy alongside her HAD to be him. They'd_ never_ gotten along, _ever_. He'd always mocked her, called her names, all around hated her as much as she could tell. She was used to people being annoyed at the fact that she was a teacher's pet and sometimes a know-it-all…But he had the same reputation…He hated her for something she couldn't control, the family she was born into…and that made it all the worse.

But what she thought was the worst of all was the fact that secretly she'd always half admired, and half been intimidated by his intensity. His icy blue stare and unwavering strength never ceased to give her chills…And despite the moments of pure hatred toward him, she'd always been physically attracted to him. His flaxen hair and ivory skin that flushed when rage or embarrassment coursed through him. She still remembered the day he was attacked by the hippogriff. While Ron had a vengeful grin on his face when it happened, she'd felt her heart stop for a moment as he fell to the ground and his blood had poured out onto his robes. She'd played it off as a reaction to seeing the blood itself…But she'd still been relieved when Harry'd assured that his pain was all an act and he was in actuality fine.

And while she hated him for making her work even harder than she already was to save the innocent Buckbeak, at the same time she couldn't ever despise him fully… Somewhere deep inside him…She thought she'd seen…or perhaps had just imagined, a shimmer of good. She knew his father was extremely vindictive over him, just from rumor. She'd also heard that when on holiday from school he spent all his time with private magic and quidditch tutors, who his father hired in determination for him to get ahead.

In all honesty, though he bragged about his luxurious life, had little or no time on his hands for friends or free time. It made Hermione sympathetic, he was the boy who had it all in material and public status, but had nothing but two muscled cronies and a web of lies to keep him secure in his social life.

Before her pondering could take her any further, the door creaked open and Draco walked in slowly, his cool blue eyes sweeping the room. His eyes stopped on Hermione for a moment, but he said nothing and moved over to his chest and began unpacking as well. The silence hung like a dead weight in the room and nothing could be heard but the rustling of robes and sliding of books and parchment. With a sharp clunk Hermione closed her trunk and looked around the room entirely for the first time.

It was a round room on the top of a tower. There were two tall windows on either side of the room that opened onto small private balconies, and a bathroom off the side with two showers, baths, stalls and sinks for private use. There was a large fireplace with two deeply cushioned armchairs. A long curtain could be drawn across the entire room for privacy from one another, but the beds also had curtained hangings if the middle curtain was left open at night. The hangings on her side were blood red velvet and had golden filigree and stitching, while on his side were deep green and silver. A large silver serpent was entwined artfully on the headboard of his bed, while on hers a golden lion.

A small wooden plaque hung between the two beds, with an engraved brass plate upon it that read "Congratulations Head Boy and Girl Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger." Below were their houses and the Hogwarts seal, and then Dumbledore's name.

The door led down a spiral staircase into an obviously charmed corridor, that when taken would lead directly to their common rooms, so they could easily visit friends whenever desired and also to the main staircase. Beside the door was a small table with a stone pitcher and two glasses. There were large cherry wood wardrobes and dressing tables that they had packed their robes into, and full length mirrors for either of them. Hermione had unpacked some small trinkets onto her bedside table and dresser, and now sat nervously on her bed, her fingers twined together. Her mouth felt rather dry, and she rose up and after glancing out the window walked over to the table with the pitcher, Draco, it seemed, had also risen to get a drink (_Just my luck_, Hermione thought, hoping they could avoid confrontation for that night, at least) and she stood, waiting for him to take his drink first, but he motioned with his hand dismissively to let her go.

She muttered "No, go ahead."

And he replied softly, but without annoyance in his tone, "Go on."

After another second of hesitation they both reached out for a glass and their hands brushed together. They both withdrew quickly and Hermione threw a secret glance up. Draco looked determinedly away and they reached down and took separate glasses. Draco lifted the pitcher and poured water into his glass carefully and then (to her utmost surprise) filled Hermione's glass as well.

Never before had Draco ever acted so civilly to Hermione in the 6 years they'd known one another. He went and sat on his trunk, sipping his water and carefully avoiding Hermione's gaze.

Hermione shrugged it off. Perhaps Draco, finally showing an ounce of common sense, decided to at least put their differences aside for now, since they were going to be living in close quarters for the next year. While he wasn't exactly being warm, at least he wasn't sneering and insulting her parentage.

She walked out to her balcony and looked down at the sweeping green grounds that now glowed with a silvery bluish sheen in the moonlight. She drank the rest of her water, and felt overwhelming fatigue fall over her. She went back inside; closing the window and setting the glass back down on the table. She walked into the bathroom and washed her face, brushing and flossing like a good little dentists' daughter. She pulled her hair back and looked at herself in the bathroom mirror, studying her teeth and her eyebrows for a moment before yawning and leaving the bathroom.

Draco lay on his bed reading, hangings open, his robes off, but still in his slacks and shirt. She went into her wardrobe and pulled out some pajamas, and then without a word closed the curtain that separated them. She changed quickly and slid under the soft covers of her bed. She heard Draco get out of bed and amble into the bathroom a few moments later. Water ran for a bit and then she heard brushing of teeth and other patterings around. Then she heard his footsteps come back into the room and some rustling of clothing being changed and then silence. Hermione leaned over to her beside table and with three short puffs of air extinguished the candelabra and turned over, falling into dreams.

Readers: I don't know…This already sounds like another predictable Hermione/Draco ship to me.

Me: I SWEAR! I PROMISE!! IT REALLY ISN'T!!! PLEASE BELIEVE ME!!


	2. Have Class

Hermione woke up early the next morning and opened her hangings to see that the large curtain had been opened. She climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. The shower was running on Draco's side, and she brushed her teeth quickly, while at the same time trying to tame the mess of hair that had escaped from her ponytail overnight. She spat out her toothpaste foam and heard the slither of his shower curtain opening. She turned around quickly and faced away from his side. "Sorry!" she said "I'm just brushing my teeth." She heard the slap of wet feet on tile and the slide of towels coming off the rack.

"Get used to it now." Draco said. Hermione turned at his remark and quickly looked down, blushing, as he walked past, wrapped from the waist down in towel, his upper half naked and dripping in water, carrying his pajamas under his arm. Steam followed him as he exited the bathroom and closed the separator curtain lazily. She sighed quietly and walked over to her shower. Stepping in fully clothed she changed behind the curtain and placed her clothing outside the bath carefully while still hidden behind the curtains. Just because Draco didn't mind letting her see him half naked didn't mean she wanted to return the favor.

As soon as she was ready she went downstairs, still just on time for breakfast, although Draco had been ahead of her by about ten minutes. She walked down the main stair, studying her course schedule carefully as she wandered into the great hall. She sat down at a table and nibbled on some toast and a few moments later Harry and Ron were on either side of her.

"So?" Harry said, scooping scrambled eggs onto his plate.

"Yeah!" Ron added, piling sausage onto his. "How's rooming with the devil himself?"

Hermione rolled her eyes looking at them. "Honestly you two? Do you think it's anything I can't handle?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other with raised eyebrows from either side of her. "Err…Well, not to say you can't control your temper Hermione…It's just that Malfoy has the tendency to push your buttons." Harry said cautiously. "So to speak." He added quickly.

"Well, if you must pry." Hermione said at last, "He hardly said a word. And I hope it stays that way as far as this year is concerned. A silent Draco is the best Draco."

"Do you hear this?" Ron said incredulously to Harry "Already on a first name basis they are. Next thing you know they'll be having late night chats and painting each others toenails."

Harry and Ron snickered, and Hermione smiled, even she found it hard not to laugh at the ludicrous thought of her and Draco becoming friends in any sense of the word.

"So how's the dorm?" Harry asked, once Ron's chuckles had subsided.

"It's actually quite nice." Hermione said. "Nothing too fancy, but a far cry from the old girls' dormitory, I can assure you." She popped the last bit of toast crust into her mouth and swallowed the rest of her orange juice. "Looks like we've got double charms with the Ravenclaws first." She said, checking her schedule, "And then Potions with Slytherin, as usual." She sighed, wondering how that would go. "After that you guys must have divination or something, because I have advanced arithmancy."

They chatted slightly about the lunacy that continued to spout from Trelawny. "You know I'd thought that scare with Umbridge in 5th year would've polished her off, but she just keeps going."

"Ugh." Harry said, grimacing "Don't even mention the U-word…Dunno about you, Ron, but I miss pretty boy Firenze compared to having Trelawny back and predicting my demise… _again_."

The bell rang and they were released a few moments later and they walked to Professor Flitwick's class, chatting idly. That day Hermione was pleased to see that her Protean charm still worked splendidly, although Professor Flitwick seemed even happier to see it. "If you keep this up," he said squeakily, "You'll pass all of your N.E.W.T.s with no trouble at all!"

Ron made a face when he walked away and sighed. "I'll probably pass one: care of magical creatures…And only because Hagrid owes me for a dragon bite, a good number of beatings from Grawp, and not to mention too many skrewt-burns to count. The _least_ he can do is give me a N.E.W.T. to bring home to Mum."

Their assignment was place a Protean charm on a pile of clothespins and then charm one of them to do a jig, and the others were supposed to follow. Ron charmed his clothes pin to dance, and the others, instead of mimicking it, rolled over lazily. "Oh come on!" he said, prodding it with his wand, and with that the pin burst into flame. He sighed as Harry poured water from the end of his wand to extinguish the small fire before Flitwick could notice.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Hermione said, as her clothespins waltzed across her desk in a perfect line.

Me: Please review! The more you review the more I post!! Deal? Deal!


	3. Back To Old Tricks

A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! Anyway. I'll shut up and get on with the story.

At lunch Harry and Ron piled their plates with sandwiches. "How can you two gorge yourselves so much?" Hermione queried as she snapped into a carrot stick. "I mean, you just had the feast last night, and then a huge breakfast this morning."

"Doing magic ish draining, Er-my-nee." Ron said through a mouthful of ham. Harry nodded in assent, his cheeks stuffed with chicken. She ate the rest of her salad quickly and drank her pumpkin juice, skimming the pages of her advanced arithmancy text. "How can you do that stuff?" Ron asked, looking over her shoulder at the complex symbols and equations. "My head hurts just from staring at the ruddy page."

"Some people's minds are just more mathematic." She shrugged, closing the book as the bell rang.

Hermione felt nervous about fraternizing with the Slytherins as she Harry and Ron descended into the dungeons. She picked a table alongside them and pulled out her textbook and set up her cauldron. She followed Draco with her gaze when he walked in but he didn't give her the slightest glance. He seated himself on the farthest end of the dungeon away from them and throughout class didn't bother them at all. When Snape dismissed them they all rose up and Hermione stuffed her potions book into her bag and hurried to the door. She accidentally bumped into Pansy on her way up the stairs and she dropped her books.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry." Hermione said, stooping to help her pick them up. Pansy made a disdainful noise, "Just leave them, I don't want your grubby hands all over them." she scowled.

"I was just trying to help." Hermione said defensively.

"Well maybe next time you should mind your own business. Or just don't get in the way in the first place you filthy mudblood." A voice said from behind her. Draco was smiling wryly from a step below her, his blue eyes narrowed. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled dully on either side of him.

Hermione pursed her lips and stared at him coldly for a second and then whipped around and stormed up the stairs. Harry and Ron had missed it all, and were already at the top of the staircase, joining the crowd in the hall. Hermione blinked back tears. Why was she reacting this way? She'd let her guard down and look what had happened…Well no more. She wouldn't let that idiotic excuse for a wizard get under her skin again.

After arithmancy she walked up the stairs to her dormitory quickly and dumped her books in their room. She didn't meet Draco on the way down and she quickly went into the Gryffindor common room and slumped into an armchair by the fire. A few minutes later Harry, Ron, Lavender, Parvati, and some other 7th years came in the portrait hole.

Ron and Harry sat down opposite Hermione in chairs.

"How was arithmancy?" Harry asked, stretching his feet out onto a puffy ottoman.

"_Advanced _arithmancy." Hermione corrected. "It's actually a good deal more difficult than the two years. I'm excited about the challenge that this year will be."

"Do you hear her?" Said Ron, grinning, "You know, Hermione, you're the only person I know who would say their class is ridiculously hard, and then follow it up with how pleased you are about it!"

"Well Hermione's just special like that." said Neville, pausing for a moment by Hermione's seat. "Have you seen Trevor?" He then added.

"Thank you, Neville." Hermione smiled. "And no, I haven't seen him around. Check in the bathrooms maybe?"

"Good idea." He said, hurrying off in that direction.

Harry looked up from the fire. "Do you want to go visit Hagrid for dinner tonight?" he suggested.

"I'd love to!" said Hermione "I didn't get to talk to him last night after we got off the train."

"Yeah, me either." Ron said.

"Well let's go see him then." Harry said, standing up.

They tramped down the lawn to Hagrid's hut and knocked on the door. He opened it and a grin broke out onto his hairy face. "It's about time yeh came ter visit me!" he cried, grabbing all three of them in a huge hug. He set them down a moment later, all of them smiling sheepishly and rubbing their ribs.

"We thought we'd ask to stay for dinner." Hermione said. "If it's not too much trouble."

"Not at all!" Hagrid beamed, "Go on, sit down!" he said, motioning to the chairs set around the table. "I swear all of yeh get bigger every time I see yeh." He smiled, sitting down with them. "I jus put the kettle on, so we'll have tea in a mo." He added.

They talked about the order's activities and movements of Voldemort, but also about lighter things, like N.E.W.T.s, Hermione's ranking as Head Girl, and quidditch. "Chudley Cannons are 26th in the league this year!" Ron boasted, "Last year they were ranked 33rd!"

"An' how bout the house team this year? Whatcha think, as captain, what's yer personal opinion Harry? Is the cup yers this year?"

"I hope so." Harry smiled. "But we'll need our new chasers trained up well, since they only joined last year. Of course, we've already got an excellent keeper."

Ron blushed slightly and added, "And of course the 'best seeker in a century'"

Both of them rolled their eyes and Hagrid laughed.

"Ah, I've missed yeh. All three of yeh."

They all poked at Hagrid's pheasant pie. Ron ate bravely at his until he found what appeared to be a beak in it and then politely declined a second helping. They sipped at strong tea until Hagrid suggested they go up and get to bed, as most people were probably cleared out of the great hall by then.

"Thanks for vistitin! I'll expect ter see more of yeh!" He called after them, and they waved as they walked back up to the castle. Ron and Harry said goodnight to Hermione as she took the turn that went to her dormitory and them to theirs. A deeper feeling of dread dropped into her stomach with each stair she took up the tower.

Readers: Uh-oh! Hermione/Draco confrontation! What'll happen?

Me: Ooooh, I dunnooo…how about you review and then find out!?


	4. Apologies

Ron and Harry said goodnight to Hermione as she took the turn that went to her dormitory and them to theirs. A deeper feeling of dread dropped into her stomach with each stair she took up the tower.

She came to the door, took a deep breath, and then opened it. Draco lay on his bed reading, his hair stylishly tousled, his shirt collar unbuttoned and tie loosely hung around his neck. He looked up as she came in and she gave him a cold stare and went over to her bed and sat down, slipping her shoes off.

"Didn't see you at dinner." He said after a moment. "Where'd you go?"

"What do you care?" Hermione said stonily, turning away from him and slipping her robes up over her head. She slipped her tie off and hung it in her wardrobe and tossed her robes down the laundry chute beside her dressing table.

"Grang-…Hermione…" Draco said slowly. "I'm…I…" He seemed to only be getting out one word at a time. She faced him, her hands on her hips. He was sitting on the side of his bed, staring at his feet. He no longer looked remotely cool, but downtrodden and ashamed.

"What? You wanted to apologize for how you acted today so you can wake up tomorrow and do it all again?" Hermione spat. "I know you Draco, whether or not I'm _good_ enough for you to have bothered to get to know me. And one thing I've found from 6 years of dealing with you is that you don't change, and you're never sorry. So why don't we just put apologies and false civility behind us and decide to hate each other properly? That makes everything _ever _so much simpler."

She stalked into the bathroom and slammed the door of the stall, sitting on the toilet seat with her head in her hands. She gritted her teeth and blinked her eyes furiously. Why did he make her act this way? Why was she letting him get to her? As he'd sat there on the bed looking at her while she barraged him with words he'd seemed so shocked…So hurt. How _dare_ he feel hurt? How dare he make her feel guilty? He'd made life hell for her whenever he could for half a dozen years, and now what? She was supposed to just give up, lie down and accept it because he'd attempted an apology? Well he had another thing coming to him if he thought that.

She took a hot shower and then toweled her hair and changed into pajamas. As she brushed her teeth she couldn't help still feeling a twinge of guilt. Maybe he really had been sorry…Maybe he'd realized how mean it had been…Maybe he'd had an explanation for why he'd said what he did. She drank some water and walked out into the main room. The hangings on Draco's bed were closed and he was nowhere to be seen. She walked out onto her balcony and looked out. The lake was glassy and beautiful in the moonlight and Hagrid's hut peeked out at the edge of the forest, light shining in the window. The air was crisp and she wrapped her arms around herself as cold breeze blew past. She went back inside after a few minutes. Draco still appeared to be hidden in his bed. She climbed into her bed and closed the hangings. She decided she'd stay mad at him for now, just to be in good form.

She woke up the next morning. A crack in the hangings around her bed let sunlight stream in and she pulled open the curtains enough to look at her clock. Her alarm was going to go off in about five minutes anyway, so she clambered out of bed. Her feet hit the cold wooden floor with a soft pat and she stood up and stretched, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked over at Draco's side, but he was gone, his hangings open and his bed vacated. She walked into the bathroom and squinted. There were water droplets in the sink that looked to be spelling letters.

I-A-M-S-O-R-R-Y.

She wiped the water away and shook her head. She was imagining things now. She brushed her teeth and pulled out her floss, when she cut it on the box it fell from her hands onto the floor and in cursive letters traced out:

I-Am-Sorry

She felt something stir in her stomach as she picked up her floss and continued to get ready. When she ran the hot water as she washed her face the mirror fogged. She looked up and there, written in the water vapor-

I'M SORRY

She went to her wardrobe and when she opened it her ties leapt off of their hook and spelled out-

SO SORRY on the floor.

She smiled to herself and finished getting dressed. She went down to breakfast and watchfully ate a half a bagel, having just seen several spoons and forks spell out

VERY SORRY! Between the bacon platter and egg dish.

Ron and Harry joined her a minute later, and the owls delivered post. A small note was dropped in front of her reading "I'm sorry!" in a curly scrawl. She folded it up and pocketed it, before either boy could pry.

When they walked out of the great hall many people were pointing and talking loudly. Hermione scarcely dared to look up, because sure enough, about 50 candles had been conjured up to float in the word "SORRY" above their heads. She felt herself turning pink as they walked to Care of Magical Creatures, and neither Harry nor Ron could understand why.

Readers: Awwwwwww….FLUFF! I'm LEAVING

Me: B-b-but there was a big hissy fight too!!

Readers: …that's _true_…

Me: please review? I promise – it gets better

Readers: …hrmmm…


	5. An Agreement

After dinner she went into the common room to work on her homework with Harry and Ron, and when she'd finished and bade them goodnight she walked up to her room slowly. How would Draco act? Apprehensive? Smug? Sure of himself? Still hurt?

She muttered the password and walked into the room. Draco wasn't there at all. She breathed a sigh of relief and then lay down in her bed and staring up at the top of her canopy, blinked twice to make sure what she saw was really there. Written in brightly glowing Dr. Filibusters Fabulous No-heat wet-start firework stars were the words:

"Can you forgive me?"

She sat up slowly and saw Draco standing in the frame of the door kicking his heels and looking at the floor.

Hermione sighed before finally speaking. "Can I ask you something?" She said slowly.

He looked up, "Shoot." He replied.

"Why go to all this trouble, Draco? Before this year I'd assumed you didn't care one jot for me, and the worse I felt about you the better you felt about yourself… Why, all of the sudden are you begging for my forgiveness?"

Draco smiled a little wistfully. "Knew you'd ask that." He said. He looked up at Hermione and took a deep breath. "It's that…Everyone expects me to act a certain way. They always have. My father, my mother, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy…All of them expect me to be ice cold to any Gryffindor who crosses my path…And to any mud-…To any muggleborn. The truth is I couldn't care less who your parents are, what house you're in or who your friends are! But everyone else does…And if I were to be kind to you…Even _civil_ to you…It would seem like I was soft…Like I didn't belong. I know it's selfish of me, and I shouldn't care about what others think…But…If you could put yourself in my place…I don't know. You'd probably do the right thing anyway…" He sighed heavily and looked down.

"I just wanted you to know, that I'm sorry for how I acted. Not just yesterday, but the way I've always acted. And you were wrong about what you said. I _have_ gotten to know you, as best I could from a distance. I know you worry about your hair too much…And you have a laugh that sounds like bells. I know you're stronger than everyone thinks, and you're fiercely loyal too…and…and I know you doodle in the margin of your notes when you think nobody's looking. I know you look absolutely beautiful in periwinkle blue...and that you shrank your teeth after I put that hex on you…Sorry about that…"

He added. "And ever since first year I've sort of hated and admired you at the same time…My father always compares me to you, measuring me up and cursing his son who loses to someone with muggle parents. I get extra punishment and harder lessons when your grades exceed mine, and yet my heart would break if I saw you do any less. And…I just…Had to tell you…And say I'm sorry for anything I ever do or ever say and for all the things I have said…They're all lies. It's always been lies. I think you're brave, intelligent, and beautiful…And anything anyone says about your bloodline is bollocks… they're just envious of all your talent…And…And I wanted to know…If you can forgive me." He looked down, and heaved a great sigh. After he stood for a moment, met with nothing but silence, he turned to go…But Hermione got up.

"Wait!" She said.

He turned in the doorway and she walked over to him. She took a deep breath.

"What you said…" She began hesitantly, "Really…Meant something to me. And…I know it couldn't have been easy to say…And…I…Well, I forgive you, Draco." She bit her lip shyly after saying it, and then held out her hand. "Can we agree to…At least make an effort to avoid each other out there-" she said, jerking her head down the staircase, "from now on?" Hermione added.

"Agreed." Draco said, and took her hand, shaking it softly. He smiled quickly and turned to his bed…And Hermione was sure she had seen a tinge of pink flush across his white cheeks.

Readers: Whaaat? No way. So predictable. And now they're gonna fall in love, blahblahblah.

Me: ah-ah-ah! See- it SEEMS like that, doesn't it?..._You'll see_. nods knowingly just review. You'll find out.


	6. Growth

The next few days Hermione and Draco avoided each other whenever possible outside of their dormitory. Inside however, they opened up. While Hermione and Draco both kept quiet about news from the warfront, they had many other things they could discuss. Secret adventures and trips outside and in the castle, stories about manor life from Draco's perspective, and the muggle world from Hermione's. Draco was fascinated by how her parents managed their lives without magic of any kind, while Hermione was amazed by just how much magic could work in a wizard's.

They skirted the topic of mutual friends. Hermione knew that Harry was a touchy subject for Draco, and some of Draco's friends weren't exactly high on Hermione's list either. So mostly they shared about themselves. And while Ron's early caricature of their friendship was a bit exaggerated, they found themselves spending more time together, and sharing deeper emotions as time went by.

When things were slow in the common room, she'd excuse herself, saying she was tired, and then rush upstairs to talk to Draco instead. Sometimes they'd have lunch together in the tower instead of eating with everyone else in the hall. They'd work on homework together, too. Hermione and Draco both struggled in different areas. In advanced arithmancy Hermione was brilliant, but Draco often lacked focus, whereas in defense against the dark arts, while Hermione could memorize facts easily enough, she wasn't the best when it came to actually dueling, and there, Draco excelled. So they worked with each other. More than once Draco had stormed out, frustrated and ranting that he'd never understand arithmancy, but he always returned meekly and got back to work. On several occasions Hermione had her robes catch fire or was knocked out by a stunning spell, but always got back up on shaky knees and would try again.

One day, on the way down the stairs to Hagrid's hut for care of magical creatures Draco was walking behind her and she tripped, her books slipping out of her bag and spilling down the stone steps. She stooped to pick them up, with Ron and Harry helping her. Pansy Parkinson cackled harshly and Crabbe and Goyle also guffawed stupidly. "Nice work Granger." Pansy said, "You walk much?"

Hermione looked up at Draco, who in his eyes seemed torn as to if he should comment. Goyle however, had stopped laughing and now looked at Draco expectantly. Hermione looked him in the eye and nodded a fraction of an inch. His eyes flashed apologetically and then a wicked grin spread on his face. "It's _one_ foot in _front_ of the other Granger. Surely muggles could have taught you to _walk_ at least….well…Maybe not." He sneered.

"Can it, Malfoy." Ron said, taking a step forward.

"Ignore him Ron." Hermione said, her eyes narrowed. "He's not worth your time."

As soon as they returned to their dormitory that evening Draco wouldn't stop apologizing. "It's _okay_!" Hermione said for the hundredth time, as she slid her socks off. "Plus, now that we know it's okay if we have a little bit of confrontation. It's sort of like play-acting."

Me: oooh la la. Looks like friendship is really blossoming between draco and hermione…cackles knowingly

Readers: whaaa?

Me: ohh…you'll just have to REVIEW and find out…


	7. Influence

Months passed and Hermione and Draco, to the naked eye, still appeared to be enemies. When discussing it with Ron and Harry, she never barefacedly lied, instead saying things like, "Oh, he's not that horrible as long as we don't bother each other too much."

Classes got more difficult as Christmas drew closer, and she spent more and more time studying, either with Ron and Harry, helping them with their homework or balancing that with Draco and his problems in arithmancy. Ron's transfiguration marks were slipping, and he seemed to have hit a brick wall with some of the more advanced spells. Hermione spent countless hours in abandoned classrooms and the library with him, turning blackboards into buffalo and desks into daschunds. She noticed that Ron seemed strange around her lately. Sometimes shy and antsy, he'd open his mouth during silent moments of concentration, as if he was going to say something, but then after a pause would blurt something about the weather and then stare at his feet, his ears pink. She wondered if perhaps Harry and he were hiding something from her, although Harry never showed the same odd behavior. She was beginning to worry about him, but when she asked him if he had something he needed to tell her the one day, he turned red and said he had to use the loo.

She'd always had sneaking suspicions lurking somewhere deep in the pit of her stomach, but fearing it was just a schoolgirlish fantasy, tried to shrug it off.

One day in mid-November, came a moment Hermione never thought she'd face. She was sitting at the fire in the dormitory, studying a star chart and warming her feet, when Draco walked in, looking ashen-faced and anxious. Immediately Hermione knew something was very wrong. He sat down on his bed, staring at the palms of his hands, his eyes looked wide and it seemed he may have been crying.

"What is it?" She said, immediately casting aside her schoolwork and crossing the room to him.

He shook his head mutely, and swallowed. Hermione sat down beside him on the bed. She spoke softly, "Is it…about your dad?"

He looked at her with eyes full of fear, and nodded.

Though they'd never discussed it openly, Hermione, and many others in the wizarding community knew that his father was high in the Death Eater ranks. She had dreaded this day coming…Now that Draco was nearing graduation from Hogwarts, his father would expect him to join the ranks…But Hermione knew from conversations with Draco, that he didn't want to be involved, on either side. Joining the ministry or the order's side would be betraying his flesh and blood, but being a Death Eater was just as dangerous if not more, and he felt he had no loyalty owed to Voldemort. He'd told her after school he wanted to move to somewhere far away like India or the United States, just to stay away from the battlefronts of the war until things had died down. Hermione could respect that. She felt she had to fight, but she had family and friends beside her, instead of being torn between two causes.

Finally words came from Draco. "It was like he was hardly even asking." He said slowly, still looking down. "Like he just assumed it…that it was inevitable…or worse…That I had no choice in the matter to begin with." His voice shook as he spoke, and he looked up at Hermione helplessly. "He wants my decision by after Christmas… to let me have time to 'adjust' as he said…But I don't want to adjust Hermione. I don't want to fight…To die. Not for someone who murders…Not for someone who I have no loyalty toward!"

Hermione sat there with him. She didn't know what to say or do. He stared down, stricken…And she realized, she was the only person that he could talk to about this. Crabbe and Goyle were already on the Death Eater bandwagon. And his father certainly wouldn't be an unbiased influence on him either.

"Draco." Hermione said firmly. "No one can force you to do anything."

"You don't know them!" he cried, "It's either I join them or I am a traitor, and I'm finished."

"Then get away Draco. Run away, as soon as you can!"

"But I have to finish school…And by January…I'll have to swear myself over to him. Be branded, like my father…Like all of them. I can't live my life under the shadow of the dark mark…I wont." Draco's voice wavered with emotion and Hermione could see his eyes shining.

She hesitated for a moment, and then reached down slowly and took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently in encouragement.

"Draco…" she said softly, "I have faith in you. I know that you're strong…And you're brave. And if you can't stand up to your father for this…Then you probably never will…Draco…Stand up for what you know you want…and what you know is right…"

Draco sighed deeply, and squeezed her hand back. "You make it sound so simple."

Readers: oooh noooo

Me: ooh yessss…Now…REVIEW


	8. Christmas Day Pt 1 of 4

When Christmas break finally rolled around Hermione was relieved. Her tutoring sessions were suspended for the moment, along with studies of her own. She had mad snowball fights on the lawn with Ron, Harry and Neville, but didn't mind warming up by the fire in her dormitory with hot chocolate and Draco's company either.

On Christmas morning she woke up with the pile of presents around the foot of her bed and felt torn. Draco lay gently snoozing and she knew that downstairs Ron and Harry were probably already tearing open gifts. After a moment of indecision she threw on a bathrobe and scrawled a quick note, leaving it on top of her gift for Draco, which read: "Going to the common room to open presents, but I'd like to be there when you open this. If you can withhold the temptation long enough I'll be back before noon.", and then swept all her presents up with her wand and floated them out of the room, closing the door behind her softly.

Harry and Ron had actually waited for her, assuming that they would carry on the tradition of unwrapping presents together. She tore open a very advanced and heavy spell book she'd been admiring in Flourish and Blotts from her parents, along with a set of socks. She'd received a scarf that appeared to be ten feet long from Dobby, a dark blue sweater and box of fudge from Mrs. Weasley, and Hagrid had given her a genuine dragon hide belt. From Harry was a wand care kit and a box of sherbet lemons from Honeydukes, and then she searched around, but saw nothing else. "Um…" Said Ron, his ears going purple, "I thought I might…Let you have it later…" He said.

She smiled, feeling a bit perplexed, and also a strange nervous jump in her chest as he said this, and nodded. "Okay."

She searched Harry's face for a possible explanation, but he was too absorbed in the "Famous Seekers" book she'd purchased for him in the "Quidditch" section of the bookstore. For Ron, Hermione had bought a large box of chocolate frogs, and also a golden amulet with a lion and a phoenix entwined around a polished red stone. "I don't know if it's real, considering what I paid at the shop." She said, smiling when he unwrapped it, "But the owner said it was charmed by a wizard in the 15th century, to give good luck to whoever bore it…Probably a load of rubbish…" She added, but he grinned widely. "I love it." He said.

After they'd talked and admired presents for a while, Hermione said she was going upstairs to change. She came into the room, and there on her bed was a small box wrapped in burgundy paper with a gold ribbon. There was a card on top that said, simply, "To Hermione." Once she'd changed she sat on the bed to open it. She untied the ribbon carefully and unwrapped the paper. It was a wooden box with a little hook that she unfastened to open the lid. What was inside took her breath away.

It was a miniature golden and bronze statue of a griffin. When she opened the box it was laying, curled up, its wings folded down and its head tucked beneath its wing. As light streamed inside it slipped its beaked head out and tossed its mane, yawning. It stretched its talons in front of it, and flexed its back claws as it stood and looked up. It let out a little screechy roar as it looked up at Hermione and cocked its head to the side curiously, stretching its wings. It couldn't have been more than four inches long and three inches high. It strutted about the small box and Hermione, scarcely daring to breathe, put her finger down into the corner. At first it seemed frightened, but then came over to it, and sniffed it, and then placed an experimental front claw onto her. When she stayed perfectly still, the next little claw was put onto her finger. She was amazed at how life-like it felt, as it moved up onto her hand. She lifted her arm slowly up from the box and it squealed a little nervously, flapping its wings. She grinned and let it wander around her palm and forearm, before setting her other hand a few inches away, and letting him fly over to it. She silently named him Godric as she watched him curiously smell and walk over the folds of her blankets when she set him on the bed.

She heard footsteps coming up the stairs and she carefully picked him up and, though he protested, placed him back in the box, and closed the lid. She dashed to the door and got to it just as it opened. Draco seemed taken aback as Hermione flung herself onto him in a hug. "Oh Draco, it's wonderful, I love it!" She said, pulling away and grinning from ear to ear. He smiled, seeming rather flustered, and said, "Well I guess you opened it then."

"Oh, but _your_ present!" Hermione remembered suddenly, "Open it Draco…I don't know how it could compare to what you got me, but I think you might like it."

Draco sat down on his bed with the gift in his lap and carefully tore off the paper. Inside was a small black cardboard box. He opened it, and unwrapping the tissue, smiled. It was a silver cloak pin in the shape of a snake twined around itself into a beautiful Celtic knot, its eye made of a blue stone.

"I found it in an antique shop in Paris's magic community last summer…I bought it, but then realized it didn't really suit any of my friends at the time…" She said. "But…Then…Well, I thought it suited _you_ alright."

He stood up with it in his hands and opened his wardrobe, pinning it to his cloak's collar.

"It's beautiful." He said softly. He was looking at her in a funny way, and she felt embarrassed, her cheeks turning pink. She stood up, all of the sudden the fluttering feeling that had been hiding in her stomach with Ron all this time seemed to be moving up her throat and into her brain as Draco smiled at her. She walked over to the wide doorway and Draco walked over too,

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied, a bit too quickly after he asked, and found herself blushing more, though she didn't know why. Draco leaned back and looked up.

"Oh." He said rather abruptly.

"What?" Hermione said, leaning against the opposite doorframe.

"Nothing." Said Draco, his cheeks flushing as well.

Hermione looked up to see what he'd seen. Hanging above them in the doorframe was a sprig of mistletoe, the white berries gleaming in the torchlight, the green leaves bound together with a bright red ribbon. She looked back slowly and Draco stood up straight from leaning back. Hermione didn't know what force was pulling her…Something stronger than gravity. But she stood up too. Draco took a step forward, slipped a hand behind her ear and softly rested his other hand on her waist. She didn't know what was happening at first, it happened so fast, but then his face was inches away from hers. His eyes were so close…They were so blue. And then his eyes closed and hers did too, as their lips met softly.

Their kiss was broken short by a clattering sound and a thundering of stairs being taken quickly. Hermione looked down just in time to see Ron's red hair whipping around the corner, and a small box lying on the stairs, having been cast aside.

She looked at Draco who looked back at her, shock in both their eyes. "RON!" She called, and then taking a final look back at Draco, hurried down the stairs after him.

Readers: OMG!!!

Me: I KNOW, RIGHT? REVIEW, OKAY?


	9. Christmas Day Pt 2 of 4

She got out to the hallway and he was ahead of her a few paces. "RON!" She shouted, running over to him. "Ron!" She said again, out of breath from chasing him down the flights of stairs. He whipped around his face contorted with anger and confusion.

"DRACO?" He bellowed. "DRACO MALFOY?"

"Ron, you don't understand—"

"YOU'RE BLOODY WELL RIGHT I DON'T!" He roared, his face red and his eyes shining.

"Ron! Please!" Hermione choked, feeling a hard knot growing in her throat that made it difficult to speak.

"PLEASE WHAT?" He shouted, tears of confusion and anger trickling out of the corners of his eyes as he wiped them away roughly with his sleeve. "Why HIM?" He said after a pause where Hermione blanched, tears burning her eyes as well. "Why would it be DRACO? How? What in the WORLD is going on?"

She took a shuddering breath. "I don't know…I…I can't understand it either…You see…I never told you—you _or_ Harry…This year…We sort of…Became friends."

"FRIENDS?" Ron screamed, loud enough that Hermione was sure that Draco would be able to hear from all the way up in the tower. "HOW? HE HATES YOU! He hates ALL of us. HIS DAD'S A BLOODY DEATH EATER!" disbelief and shock now clouded Ron's eyes as he searched her face for answers.

"He DOESN'T hate me!" Hermione cried, her emotions rising with his. "He never has Ron. Everyone expects him to, but he DOESN'T! And _he_ doesn't even want to be a Death Eater." She hissed.

"What?" Said Ron coldly, "He told you this? When? Before or _after_ you kissed him?"

"Why do YOU care who I kiss?!" Hermione spoke; his words had been like a slap in the face, "That's none of your business!"

Ron's face twisted, "What are you THICK or something? Christ, Hermione… oh… God… WHAT? ARE YOU BLIND?" He yelled in frustration, with a voice that echoed down the corridors. He turned bitterly away his hands running through his hair and marched quickly away from her, leaving her standing in shock, tears running down her cheeks. After a few minutes she shook herself. She'd be standing there watching the corner in the hall that Ron had disappeared around, tears steadily falling from her eyes. She didn't sob, or whimper. She took a deep steadying breath, and her chest shook slightly. She wiped her eyes and then walked out into the entrance hall. She went out the front doors of the castle. There was snow thick on the ground, but she didn't want to go back to the dorm. Back to face Draco.

She slogged out into the snow; her feet were freezing as they grew wetter and wetter. More tears burned in her eyes, but she blinked them back, swallowing hard. She walked to the stone stairs leading down the lawn, and sat, her head in her hands. Millions of thoughts whirled through her brain. Of course Ron would be furious at finding Hermione with Draco…But the last thing he'd said stuck in her mind.

Was she being thick? Had she been hiding it from herself all these years? Tucking it away as something she'd been imagining?...

Had it been in front of her face all this time…And had she, supposedly so clever, been the only one not to see?

Readers: WHOA! BIG HISSY FIGHT!

Me: DUDE I KNOW! WHAT HAPPENS NOW? REVIEW!


	10. Christmas Day Pt 3 of 4

A/N: I love you all – thank you for reviewing so faithfully—but please don't question my methods. Maybe shorter chapters are my style, and an important tactic in building tension in the story…eh? Also, I want you all, right now, to take note to the fact that I said this fic is NOT PREDICTABLE. You guys maybe think you know what's gonna happen by the end…and I just want you to understand that you have been forewarned…it may not be exactly what you expect. Alright. On to the story…

"Hermione!" a gruff voice said. "What're yeh doin' out here Christmas day…An' without a cloak on?"

She looked up and Hagrid was a few stairs below her, a concerned look on his face. As soon as he saw her face, his furrowed brow broke. "Come inside. Yeh can tell me what's wrong."

He helped her up and she walked with Hagrid down to his hut and went inside, the fire blazing within warming her numb fingers and feet. She sat down at his table, and he put a kettle on, and then sat opposite her, his great face cloudy with concern.

"What's happened?" He asked her frankly.

Hermione looked at him. How could she tell Hagrid? He hated Draco as much as Ron or Harry…She sighed heavily.

"It's…Ron." She finally said.

Hagrid seemed to have a look of understanding flit across his gaze, but his silence prompted her to continue.

"Well…I…I kissed…_someone_." She said slowly. "And…And they were just my friend. It was a mistake. I mean…I didn't plan for it to happen, but there was mistletoe and…I felt so strange…It just…it just happened." She felt tears again in her eyes, and she blinked them back. Still Hagrid said nothing, and so she went on.

"Ron…He saw…It never should have happened…None of it…He was furious. And he said…He said things. And now I don't know what's going on. I don't know anything anymore...Hagrid…He was so angry…But more than angry…He was hurt. Why was he so hurt?" A tear trickled down her cheek and she brushed it away distractedly, shaking her head and staring fixedly at a burn on the top of Hagrid's scrubbed tabletop.

"Hermione, can't yeh see?" Hagrid said softly, his voice low. "Ron's…always…Well I mean ter say…Ever since…As long as I've known yeh…" He trailed off, having trouble articulating what he was thinking. "I dunno if it's my place to tell yeh this… But…Hermione, Ron's always loved yeh. An' not just as a friend….Hermione…He's been _in love_ with yeh."

Hermione looked up slowly, Hagrid's meaningful gaze blurring from the tears in her eyes.

"In…In love with me?" Hermione croaked, tears overflowing onto her face.

"Hermione…Yeh had to know…Deep down…The way he looks at yeh sometimes…The way that the two of yeh always pick at each other…When you were attacked in yer second year…I've never seen 'im more broken up…I mean…Harry too…But...for Ron it's always more. Don't yeh remember how he acted 'bout Krum?"

Hermione wiped her eyes. "How did you know about—"

Hagrid held up his hand "Harry told me 'bout the trouble between you two after the Yule Ball an' all. I put two an' two together."

Hermione pressed her palms into her eyes, sniffing her nose heavily. "Why didn't he tell me?" She said fretfully.

"I reckon if you hadn' figured it out soon he woulda." Hagrid replied.

Hermione recalled the way he'd been acting over the last weeks…

As though he was trying to summon up the courage to say something… What if it had been confessing his love?

And then today…He'd wanted to give her gift to her in private…What if it had been today…What if it had been then, as he'd walked up the stairs, he was planning on telling her?

Hermione's heart broke just thinking of it.

"I've got to talk to him." Hermione decided, rubbing her eyes furiously and standing up.

"Whoa, there!" Hagrid said, standing with her. "I dunno if thas' a good idea."

"Why?" Hermione asked. "I've got to. I have to explain what happened."

"Look…Ron's really hurtin' right now. If yeh talk about what's happened with 'im…It'd just be rubbin' salt in a fresh wound…Do yeh get my meanin'?" Hagrid said.

Hermione nodded slowly.

"You'd on'y be makin' things worse by tryin' to explain yerself…Righ' now what Ron needs is ta stew. Let 'im calm down, heal. Then yeh can try explainin' yerself, and he won't be so hot an' bothered when yeh do." Hagrid advised.

"I think I understand what you're saying." Hermione replied, taking a few deep breaths. "Thank you, Hagrid." Hermione tried to smile. He hugged her warmly and she swallowed a sob that wanted to come up.

She left his hut, trudging back into the snow and cold. It was mid-afternoon by then, and she slowly walked up the main staircase. When she got to the stairs leading to her dormitory she had to steady herself. She took some more deep breaths and then headed up. A few steps from the top she stopped dead in her tracks.

The little box that Ron had thrown down when he'd seen her and Draco. She'd forgotten all about it, and now it sat on the edge of the stair, slightly dented and on its side. She picked it up gingerly, and carried it up the remaining few stairs to the dormitory. She whispered the password and then entered quietly. Draco was nowhere to be found, and she sank into a chair slowly, still holding Ron's gift in her hands.

Learning he was in love with her had hit her like a bombshell, especially after looking back on their confrontation. He would have been angry to begin with, but now she could understand the jealous fury that burned in his eyes as he'd roared at her. She felt more tears that wanted to come out, but she blinked them back. How could this have happened? How could she have done this to Ron?

To Draco…?

She remembered his stunned face as she had looked from Ron to him and back. Why had he kissed her? The mistletoe…It was just a pretense…She had ducked away from accidental meetings under mistletoe before, as it was often hung around the castle during Christmas holiday, so it wasn't like being caught beneath it automatically required a kiss. Seeing that mistletoe somehow had been the culmination of six years of tension between them…And all the anger, and fear, and hidden tenderness had been released in that foolish moment…And look what she had paid for it. A friendship…

A love…

Hermione realized that the package was still sitting in her lap, unopened. Slowly, she tore the paper off and crumpling it in her fist, tossed it into the fire. Inside was a small black box. She slipped the lid open slowly and it felt like all the air in her lungs disappeared. Within was a beautiful silver locket in the shape of a heart, on a fine chain. There were faded initials engraved in it, and though it appeared to have been recently polished, it seemed very old. She lifted it from the box and it glinted in the firelight. She felt tears in her eyes again.

She wasn't meant to open it like this. Ron should have been there with her. And now he probably hated her…And he'd probably told Harry.

How could she face any of them?

She carefully put the locket on, and slipped it under her shirt. Her stomach growled hungrily, but what could she do? Go down and act like nothing had happened? She ate a sherbet ball to tide her over, and lay back on her bed.

_Some Christmas_, she thought, and as she did, the dormitory door creaked open and Draco appeared.

Readers: Ron…Hermione…Draco…Triangula—AHA!! I GET IT!!

Me: mutters took ya long enough…


	11. Christmas Day Pt 4 of 4

A/N: Brace yourself guys…okay…here goes nothin'!

Draco walked in silently and sat down in front of the fire in a chair. Hermione's chest felt tight and it was hard to breathe as he sat there in silence, looking blankly into the tongues of flame that steadily licked the white hot logs crumbling in the grate. Would he say something, or did he expect her to explain?

She sat up slowly, and looked at him. She was reminded of their first night together in the dormitory; Draco's gaze was anywhere but on her, carefully avoiding her stare.

"Draco." She finally said, summoning all the courage left inside her. He turned at last to face her, but his stare was hard to read. His expression was the usual cool and collected façade, but it thinly masked deep pools of vulnerability and fear within his eyes.

"Draco…" She said again, unsure of how to begin. "That kiss…was…" her cheeks flushed, and though her mouth was open words would not come. "It was…it was a…well… I don't know what it was, Draco. But I know that I hurt someone very close to me…and…I know that things are different between us now…and they'll never be the same."

Draco licked his lips hesitantly, opened his mouth, but then closed it again, and looked away from Hermione, focusing on a point a few feet to the left of her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Hermione…that kiss…I…" He was struggling with the words, but then he opened his eyes, looked up at her, and seemed to resolve. "Hermione." He said firmly, "Ever since we've begun to be friends…I've been having feelings for you. At first I didn't know what it was, but whenever I saw you I'd have this stupid feeling inside me like I'd just eaten a whole box of peppermint toads in one go or something…And I felt sick and elated and depressed all at once…And I started to realize that it's because…I'm…I was…" Draco looked away, biting his lip, and then he looked up into her eyes. "I fell in love with you Hermione."

Hermione was floored. She looked at him and felt tears spring into her eyes. This was too much. How could she take this? Why was this happening to her? She reached for the bedpost to steady herself. "Draco." She said hoarsely. "…in _love_?"

"I know." Draco said. "I know it's sudden, and it's strange, but Hermione, I can't deny how I feel. More than I know about my future, about my father, about bloody magic; I know that I've fallen in love with you."

Hermione sat there, her chest felt very tight again and she tried to take a few deep breaths. "Draco…I…" but words wouldn't come.

How did _she_ feel about all of this? Draco…and Ron…Both of them were friends who she'd shared so much with. And while they were as different as could be, she cared for both of them immensely. But…while with Draco, she'd always felt a sort of primal attraction to his handsomeness and intelligence…Ron had a certain inner beauty that she'd always loved. The way his laugh could make her glow or a secret glance could make her heart leap into her throat. Had they always been in love? Maybe without even knowing it?

Draco had become a wonderful friend…But somehow she couldn't see them together. With Ron, she could see years ahead, she could see fighting with him side by side, like she had so many times before. She could see herself loving him…Being with Ron seemed like it would be almost too easy.

Draco, though…Her main feeling toward him before this year had been lust, plain and simple. It was a sort of passionate fire that only pure malice could incur…And some of that must have carried over into their friendship…Because today she'd kissed him without thought or worry for how it could affect their future…And now…Draco was telling her he was in love?

"Hermione?" Draco said, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up and bit her lip. "Draco." She spoke again, this time, knowing what she had to say. "Draco…I'm…I'm sorry Draco…But I'm not in love with you."

Draco looked for a moment like something inside him had broken and then the vulnerability in his eyes vanished and clouded with a hardened stare instead.

"Well, it's alright." He said, trying to sound dismissive. "I didn't expect you to reciprocate. I just wanted to tell you how I felt." He stood up, and turned stiffly, walking to the door.

"Draco, don't go!" Hermione stood, and he turned.

"No…It's—I have to—go to the owlery…Letters to mail." He said jerkily, and then turned and left quickly, closing the door behind him.

Hermione lay down on her bed, and felt a storm brewing somewhere behind her sternum, pressing to get out. After a moment trying to suppress it, she gave up, and with a shuddering sob she began to weep unabashedly into her pillow. Her back shook with wracking cries and her pillowcase was soaked with the tears that streamed from her eyes. At last, her chest stopped heaving, her breathing slowed, and the tears wouldn't come anymore. She sniffed thickly, and stood up from her bed, going out onto her snow littered balcony.

The air was cold on her tear-dampened face, and she watched the orange sun sink down below the line of clouds that blanketed the sky. Her feet were going numb and she eventually went back inside. Insides aching with hunger, she left the dorm finally, and walked down to the kitchens.

Dobby welcomed her cheerily, and she did her best to act the friendly Hermione. Though it was generally against her house-elf nurturing nature, she was very hungry and had too many other things on her mind too berate herself for a plate of ham, rolls and potato. She bolted it down and drank a goblet of pumpkin juice, and then thanking Dobby and the other elves again, left the kitchen quickly and returned to her room.

Draco was still gone, and she went into the bathroom and decided to draw herself a bath. Steam rose from the huge claw-footed tub as she filled it with water and then turned on a tap that spewed pink rose scented bubbles from it. She let the foam and water become very deep before turning both taps off, undressing and drawing curtains around the tub. She slid into the hot suds, and leaning her head back on a pillow at the edge of the tub, closed her eyes and let her muscles slowly un-tense and relax. She took deep slow breaths and the steam and rosy perfume slowly seemed to cloud her brain, obscuring the worries that had seemed so blatant. She felt herself dozing off, and after a few minutes more, pulled the plug and got out, showering to wash off all the foam and then wrapping herself in a thick robe went back into the bedroom and closed the main curtain. She didn't think she could face Draco…Not yet.

She crawled onto her bed and slid under the comforter. And suddenly something struck her. And like a wrecking ball into a glass house, every finely crafted imagining, thought and story she'd made for herself was shattered…And there it was, as plain to her as any fact she'd memorized in a spell book…She was in love with Ron.

She was in love with his smile and his wit and his stupid jealousy. She was in love with his cheating and his low test scores, with his short temper and frayed school robes. She was in love with every freckle, every grimace, every wisecrack. And she felt her aching heart swell as she thought of him.

The crackling fire in the grate was warm, but something, either her wet hair, a cold wind leaking in from outside, or the chill of uncertainty that now lay in her mind, made her burrow deeper under her blankets until she sank into forgotten dreams.

Readers: OMGWTFLOLBBQ!!!!!!!! (OO)

Me: don't say I didn't warn you!!!!


	12. Aftermath

**A/N:** Okay. I know I'm a horrible person and I put this down under "romance" and put the two main characters as Hermione and Draco, but that's because they ARE the main characters and this IS a romantic story – BUT like I SAID like I SAID—THIS IS NOT A HERMIONE/DRACO SHIP!! Read the description of the story if you don't believe me. And I know that I might lose some readers because of the turn of events in my story, but that's the risk you take when you read a story: it might not turn out how you expect it to…and I tend to feel it's the mark of a good story, when the end isn't completely predictable. I'm sorry if I misled some devoted Hr/D fans out there, but please read my story anyway? I can't guarantee you'll like the pairing but you could still enjoy the writing itself…? Please don't give up on me! And those of you who absolutely hate Hr/R and feel like if they read a Hr/R ship they'll be forced to flame me, I suggest you stop right now and find yourself a different story.

The rest of the Christmas holiday dragged by, and Hermione couldn't wait to get back to classes and have some routine. After Christmas day she'd been stranded. She couldn't go to the Gryffindor common room, for fear of bumping into either Ron _or_ Harry, who she was sure knew about what had happened by then. But she tried at all costs to avoid her dormitory as well. Draco's clipped tones and avoidant eyes made her stomach lurch with guilt and pain. She'd spent most of her time in the library, buried in spellbooks and prose, fighting back tears and the thoughts that burned in her mind. She eventually stopped sneaking into the kitchen and went down to the hall for meals, but sat as far as she could from Ron and Harry. She was sitting in the library, a day before New Year's Eve, reading as usual, busying herself by trying to memorize the ingredients for a disappearing draught, when Ginny slid into a chair across from her.

"Herm?" Ginny said tentatively, as Hermione kept her nose buried in the book. "Hermione where have you been these past few days?" Ginny asked, her face full of concern as Hermione finally looked up at her.

"You haven't heard?" Hermione asked slowly.

"Of course I have." Ginny said dismissively.

"Then Ron's told everyone?" Hermione asked, feeling tears burning in her eyes again as she imagined the entire Gryffindor common room's reactions for the thousandth time.

"Certainly not." Ginny said, snapping Hermione out of guilty thoughts. "I overheard him telling Harry a few days ago. I'm pretty sure Harry's the only one who knows…Well, and me…but that's purely by accident Herm."

Hermione rubbed her eyes furiously, and swallowed. "And…And you don't hate me terribly for it?" She asked.

"Oh god, _no_ Hermione!" Ginny replied at once, leaning forward over the table earnestly. "Of course not! It happens. I'm sure you had an explanation for it."

Hermione nodded, her eyes full of tears. "It was such a mistake. I'd never want to hurt Ron like I did…It was just…we'd become friends…and then there was mistletoe…it was so stupid and I wish I could take it all back." She sniffed, shaking her head forlornly.

"Well, I can't say I understand your friendship with Draco." Ginny said slowly. "But I know you have brains Hermione, and very good judgement. And I know you wouldn't do anything to deliberately hurt Ron. I'm not here to judge you, I'm here to tell you to stop hiding! Come back and sit in the common room again, talk to us again, for goodness sakes help us with our homework! We've all been wondering where our head girl is!" Ginny insisted, her eyes wide and sincere.

"But how can I face Ron and Harry?" Hermione queried nervously, her hands twisting in her lap. "They hate me!"

"Hermione, they're your best friends!" Ginny replied. "They couldn't hate you if they tried. You've been through too much together! You think a stupid kiss is going to change that? I mean, sure, they might be confused, and maybe a little angry…But Hermione, honestly, it's Harry and Ron. The ones who saved you from the troll? They're still the same friends, the same people. If you think this little thing is going to tear your relationship apart you're dafter than I thought."

Hermione brightened for a moment, but then frowned again.

"But…" She said slowly, looking meaningfully at Ginny. "What about Ron?"

A knowing look came into Ginny's eyes. "So you finally figured it out!" She smiled, speaking a little too loudly. Madame Pince gave them a sharp look, but then turned back to her work.

"Yes." Hermione answered heavily, deciding not to mention that Hagrid practically had to spell it out to her.

"Well, Hermione. I can't say he won't be hurt, because he is… and he probably will be for a while. But he's calmed down substantially since Christmas...And I think if you try to explain he might not be entirely fair about it…But he'll hear you out." Ginny said.

"I just don't know how I'm supposed to tell him I love him after all that's happened." Hermione blurted out, but then he hand flew to her mouth and her eyes grew wide, but Ginny's grew much wider.

"Did you just say what I think you said?" She gaped.

Hermione, hands still over her lips nodded slowly. "I think I did." She said from behind her fingers.

"_You love him_?" Ginny hissed, her eyes full of disbelief.

"Well. I mean…Ginny…I…I suppose I always have." Hermione said, her hand slowly sliding off her mouth and down onto the table. "I sort of just realized it a few days ago…this is the first time I've ever said it though. It's so strange…"

Ginny was beaming widely. "_Hermione_" She said "You two are meant to be together! You have to tell him!"

"I don't know…" Hermione answered hesitantly, "It seems a bit too soon…He's probably still angry…"

"Hermione." Ginny said firmly. "He's been waiting 7 years for this. I don't care _how_ angry he is, _nothing _could keep him from wanting to hear this."

Readers who haven't left me for some Hr/D shippy fluff fic: Ginny saves the day!

Me: please please review. I need all the reviews I can get now that…people are leaving…cause they don't love Ron…

Or me…--breaks into tears--


	13. Revelation

Hermione slowly followed Ginny through the portrait hole. As she entered instead of the icy stares she'd been expecting for days she was met with smiles.

"Where have you been?" Neville nearly shouted, rushing over to her. "I was about to die! I couldn't remember if you say 'Visior tomo' or 'Visior tama' for that one darkening charm, and somehow I ended up turning Trevor purple. I've been wondering where you were for you for_ days_!" He said, dragging her over to where a very plum colored Trevor sat on a table, looking rather subdued.  
She looked around as Neville continued to explain his spell gone-awry, but didn't see Harry or Ron anywhere in the room. She saw other Gryffindor students though, that had stayed at school for the holidays. She smiled around the room shyly at first, and others, recognizing her as their head girl, smiled back. 

She felt waves of relief come over her. For days now it had felt like there were thousands of snakes writhing around where her stomach had been each time she thought of facing everyone. She was so relieved that Ron had kept what had happened to himself…But at the same time it hurt her. She almost felt worse about what had happened, like she deserved to have everyone look down on her.

She shook herself mentally, she couldn't be so hard on herself. After all it was only one kiss…And she already had plenty of consequences to face. The thought of Draco alone still upset her terribly. She helped Neville put Trevor back to his old brownish green and then sat by the fire, sucking on sherbet lemons and talking with Ginny and a few other 6th years about their plans for summer holidays.

She had almost forgotten all of her worries when the portrait hole swung open and Harry, Ron, and Dean all walked in. She felt like all the air in the room had suddenly been sucked out, and again she had the squeezing feeling in her chest. She looked at them for a moment but then when she sensed Ron about to look her way, turned her gaze quickly back to Ginny and tried to smile, as though still deep in conversation.

She watched them walk all the way past in her peripheral vision and sit in a corner in a few armchairs around a table and fall into conversation. She took a deep breath after what felt like 5 minutes and tried to continue small talk with Ginny and the others. As the late evening progressed into early morning people slowly left the common room.

One by one students trickled out until Harry, Ron, Dean, Ginny, Lavender, and Hermione herself were left. Lavender and Ginny, still giggling about the attractive new Ravenclaw keeper, decided to retire, and Dean left soon after, claiming he had to have his beauty rest if he wanted to be fresh for a good New Year's party the next day.

Awkward silence filled the room as Hermione remained in her station by the fire and Ron and Harry sat in the corner. She heard furtive whispers, but couldn't make out what they were saying, as she stared determinedly into the dying flames. She heard someone climbing the stairs a few moments later, and then silence again fell over the common room once more.

After what felt like a year she slowly turned her head and looked back at the table. Ron was sitting there quite still and silent, looking down. He seemed to be trying to appear bored, but the expression around his brow and eyes was all too easy for Hermione to read. It was his pensive and concerned look. The look of deep thought he adopted when concocting an unbeatable strategy in chess or trying to work out a difficult star chart in Astronomy. Only now it seemed a much weightier issue on his mind.

Hermione lifted her hand from the arm of the chair which she had been gripping tightly, and realized it was shaking. She put it back down quickly, and swallowed hard. At last she stood up and turned to face Ron, her hand still clenched over the top of the chair. She stood there for a moment, looking at him, and he slowly looked up and stared at her in return. Her heart felt like it was being crushed in a fist, and she froze, unable to move, to speak, as he looked at her in distant a way that made her feel like a stranger. Ron studied her for a moment longer, and stood up as well, and walked stiffly over to the foot of the stairs leading to the boys' dormitory.

"WAIT!" Hermione managed to blurt as he put his foot up on the first step. And to Hermione's surprise he did. He stopped moving, but remained with his back to her. She gathered her wits as quickly as she could and began to speak, if only to keep him there a few moments longer.

"Ron…Ron. Ron, Christmas. I'm so sorry. It was all just a stupid mistake—a big stupid idiotic mistake. And I know it's probably hard for you to understand…I can't really understand it myself—but I do know it _never_ should have happened, and I'm really sorry for hurting your feelings. You know I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally."

She was going to continue, but then he turned to face her and she felt herself tongue-tied. His eyes shone, and she couldn't tell if it was just the gleam of the firelight, or tears, but he looked at her with such hurt that she couldn't go on. How could she have any excuse? She'd hurt one of her best friends…Badly.

He didn't speak, but he didn't leave either. As he stood there Hermione knew she couldn't take it much longer. She loved him so much her heart felt like it was so full it was going to burst, and she couldn't keep it inside.

"Ron." She finally said, her chest swelling as she gathered every fiber of remaining courage she had. "I can't make any excuse for what I did, because I hurt you. And it breaks my heart to see you hurt, because…" And suddenly as she looked into his eyes she felt her lungs clench. Breath wouldn't come. "B-because." She stuttered. Her eyes swept down to the floor and she wrung her hands furiously.

She heard a sweep and a step and turned her gaze upward to see him starting up the stairs.

"Ron, I love you." Hermione called, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could think or breathe or worry.

Again Ron stopped, this time, his back still turned.

"I love you Ron." Hermione repeated quietly. "And I know it's late for me to do all this…and I'm sorry it took so long…But Ron for the first time in these 7 years I really see you. I can see all that we've made it through, all we've shared. And I realized that I love you…Not like I love Harry or my family or anyone else, Ron. I—I'm in love with you."

Her eyes shone as she looked up at his motionless form. Then slowly, quietly, he turned.

"Hermione." He said, his eyes welling with tears. "Hermione. You don't know how long I've waited for you to say that…I…God…I love you so much." he choked, the tears he'd fought off so well up to this point tumbling down his cheeks.

"Ron." Hermione breathed, everything in the world melting but her and him and the distance between them. She didn't recall either of them walking toward one another, but then she felt the warmth of his face near hers, arms on her waist and her fingers in his hair. "Oh Ron." She murmured, her eyes overflowing and cascades sliding down her face and dripping off her chin.

They buried their words and tears in kisses as their lips met deliriously, feverishly, and their hands roved. The stirring that had hidden for so long deep in the pit of Hermione's stomach awoke and buzzed and tingled and filled her from head to foot. Blood roared in her ears and all she could taste and smell and feel and breathe was Ron, Ron, Ron. And it was all she wanted, and needed, forever.


	14. Destruction

She left the common room in a haze of Ron. She could still taste him on her lips as she wandered out of the portrait hole and traipsed slowly down the corridor. She came to the turn in a corner and saw Draco standing there. He looked disheveled, his eyes gleamed and looked rather bloodshot, and his shirt was un-tucked, and wrinkled.

"Draco." Said Hermione, surprised by his presence. "What are you doing down here?"

"Where've you been?" He asked, ignoring her query. The heavy smell of alcohol hung in his breath as he gazed at her.

"I was in the common room with…" she stopped short.

"Say it." Draco spat. "I can smell the weasel on you, you filthy mudblood."

"And I can smell alcohol on you." She said cautiously.

Draco stepped forward. "So…So you two are going to do what? Live in a hovel together? With pigs and brats rolling around on the dirt floor?"

"Draco, what are you talking about?" Hermione spoke quietly, taking a step backward from him.

"_Don't_ call me that." He growled. "Just 'Malfoy' was good enough for you all those years, it's good enough now."

His words were slurring slightly as he spoke, and he took another step closer to her.

"Draco, don't be like this. We can still be friends." Hermione whispered.

Draco's gaze softened as he looked at her half-lit face in the dim corridor. He held a hand up to cup her cheek softly. Hermione stood perfectly still as his cold fingers caressed her jaw.

"I loved you." He choked. Hermione took a deep breath,

"Draco… I understand. But…I don't feel the same way. I'm sorry." Her voice broke, not in anguish, but fear as his eyes grew cold again. Even in an intoxicated state Draco dueled far better than she…She didn't want to aggravate him…He was stronger, too.

"You're not sorry. You're happy with the weasel. What does he have that I haven't? I'm smarter, I have more money. You should beg to be with me you mudblood. _Beg!_" he stepped forward, more forcefully now, so that Hermione had to step back just to keep out of his way.

"What do you want from me?" She shouted, her voice trembling in fear, as he glared at her wildly.

"I want you." He said coldly. "And I _always_ get what I want."

Hermione's hand flew to her pocket for her wand but Draco was too fast.

_"Expelliarmus!"_He shouted, his voice echoing down the corridor.

Her wand was torn from her hand and flew into his. His eyes narrowed maliciously.

Hermione now had one choice left. She had to get back to the portrait hole. Before Draco could make another move she whipped around and darted as quickly as she could back down the corridor. She could see the painting of the soundly sleeping Fat Lady coming into view. She was several feet from the doorway and she opened her mouth to shout the password when she suddenly felt as though she had run into a brick wall. She fell to the ground and when she tried to stand found she could not move her legs. Draco jogged up to where she lay, the wind knocked from her lungs from her sudden fall, she looked up at him, clutching her ribs and gasping for breath.

"Don't try to run you nasty little slut." He bent down and grabbed her by the collar of her robes and then dragged her down the corridor.

Hermione was gasping for air. If she could only fill her lungs she would scream so loud every tower in the castle would tremble, but it seemed running into the invisible wall had some sort of paralytic effect on her. Her mind raced as she tried to think of what jinx or spell would cause this and if she could disarm it. This wasn't her specialty though. This was Draco's domain. Give her arithmancy, transfiguration, she would shine. Her whole body ached as he continued to pull her further and further from the portrait hole. Suddenly he stopped dragging her and roughly pulled her up and against the wall, half sitting. He looked down at her smugly, and her eyes were full of fear as she looked up at his form. He twirled his wand carelessly in one hand and then knelt down in front of her.

"How does it feel mudblood?" He growled. He looked down the hall toward the portrait. "Your little Ronny's right down that hallway, and he wont know what I do to you…He won't hear a sound."

Hermione's breath still came in short gasps, and her vocal chords seemed stiff. She tried to scream with all her might and all that came out was a short breathy squeak. Her arms and legs felt like they were tied down with weights and her muscles ached from fighting against the force of the spell. Something in her told her just to shut down…To close her eyes and wait till whatever would happen was over…But she couldn't just sit there and give in. Hadn't she faced worse than him before? Three headed dogs and dementors and dark witches and wizards beyond imagining.

Draco raised his hand and brought it in a blow across her face. The back of her head slammed against the stone wall and her cheek stung. Again he brought his hand back the other direction and pain seared through her skull. He beat her until blood trickled from her mouth and nose and then he stopped and pain pressed in around her eyes.

Draco bent forward, his face inches from hers, his eyes bored into hers and she tried desperately to move her face away as his lips pressed roughly against her own, and he kissed her fiercely. His hands moved down across her body touching her, feeling her through her robes. He tore at her robes, no longer Draco, not the boy she'd sat by a fire for hours talking with, or sharing secrets or laughing with. This was someone else. This was…and with an inward gasp she saw it.

This was Lucius.

Her robes came off, and her stomach lurched as he tossed them aside greedily, his hot breath on her face, still carrying the stench of liquor. Her eyes burned with tears of fear and frustration as she tried with all her might to fight him, to fight the spell that was on her. He clawed at the buttons on her shirt for a moment and then thinking better of it tore at her shirt as well, buttons tearing from their threads and her blouse soon forgotten on the floor beside her.

Tears poured down Hermione's face as she looked into his malice filled eyes. He was now fully bent on his task. His eyes did not meet with hers, his hands groped and she tried to drive away the physical feeling, to go numb. Her body painfully aware and yet her brain trying to drive her somewhere else, put her thoughts in some other place. But all she saw was Ron and felt cold pain clench on her heart when she saw his face in her mind.

Draco's face was against hers again, her hot tears splashed down her face and dampened his as well as he kissed her mouth again, roughly, his tongue lashing against her clenched teeth.

_No no no no no no no no no no no no no._

Her brain shouted, screamed it in agony again and again. Why did this happen to her? Why? Why couldn't she stop it? Why couldn't she just scream? One scream that would raze this castle to the ground and end whatever was happening to her.

She looked down at Draco's hands as they pried her belt buckle open and began to pull it out of the loops, his clumsy drunken fingers undressing her…and as she looked down she saw the locket on her chest from Ron…It slid from side to side as her body writhed against him…And suddenly she realized…She was writhing. Her arms were not so heavy, her legs grew lighter…And her lungs…Her lungs were filling deep with fresh clean air. She took one gasp as Draco forced her pants down off her waist and then released a scream that shook the walls and corridors. Every painting in every hallway and every student and teacher in every dormitory awoke to the piercing scream that careened off every wall and window. Hermione, in the split second that Draco stood, stunned and fearful, reached down and snatched his discarded wand from the floor and with a beam of red light, Draco landed with a heavy thud on the ground.

She heard thundering footsteps from all around, drawing nearer, doors swinging open and voices. She reached, hands shaking for her robes that had been thrown away and pulled them over her body. Blood dripped from her nose and lip and she rested her head backward on the cold stone, the world spinning in pain and delirium. And then she was being gathered in someone's arms. Someone strong and gentle. She dreamt that it was maybe Ron as her body quaked and gave way, but as she looked up through half-closed eyes she saw a silver beard and half moon glasses glinting in the torchlight.

a/n: I started this fic a while ago and thought I'd ended it, and then realized I'd left Draco's character hanging. This is not the end.

There will be more coming. Please review.


	15. Scars

Hermione awoke, hours later in a sequestered corner of the hospital wing. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Dumbledore, his fingers pressed together and his eyes closed sitting beside her. She closed her eyes again, hoping she could disappear. Her eyes filled with tears of shame and hatred for what had happened to her as memories flooded through her brain. She felt physically healed…But her heart ached and felt as heavy as her arms and legs had under Draco's curse.

Suddenly it occurred to her that Draco had been stunned and he might be in the hospital wing with her somewhere. Her body stiffened and she raised herself in her bed her eyes searching wildly around the deserted room.

"He's not here." Dumbledore's voice said softly beside her. His cool palm pressed against her own panic stricken hand that gripped the edge of the bed.

Her muscles slowly un-tensed and she eased back onto her pillows and stared up to the ceiling. Tears burned in her eyes and trickled down her temples into her hair. Her chest shook in sobs.

"Why me?" She finally whispered hoarsely through her tears.

There was a pause, where she heard Dumbledore gathering a sigh.

"Hermione...There is no answer for why things such as this happen. They merely do occur because…The world at times is an evil place…Full of jealousies, vices and cruelty beyond all measure. Evil extends far beyond the reaches of magic. We in the magic world have evil wizards like Voldemort in our midst Hermione…but far more evil than those…Are the wizards who condemn these evils…and commit their own."

Hermione shuddered and wiped her eyes roughly.

"What we must not forget, is that the world has its good, too. Truth, and beauty and hope and joy."

There was a long pause where Hermione breathed deeply and her wracking sobs slowed to slight hiccoughs, and then at last she lay still.

"And love?" She breathed at last.

"_Especially_ love." He replied.

* * *

Hermione returned to classes after the Christmas holiday had ended, but Draco did not. He had been whisked away from the school by his father who assured the school that disciplinary action would be taken. Dumbledore made it clear Draco was not welcome within the halls of Hogwarts again and that his actions had merited expulsion and possible trial before the Ministry of Magic. However, Lucius Malfoy, especially at this point, hardly felt it necessary or prudent to fraternize with Dumbledore or anyone else in the Ministry for that matter.

Hermione wasn't sure how to feel. While on one hand she wished he'd been punished, on the other she was just glad she'd never have to see his face again in Hogwarts.

Ron and Harry stayed close to her in the next weeks, and their protection and understanding was a strong and silent comfort. She didn't want to talk about it, so they didn't press her. Hermione, though still holding strong and deep feelings for Ron…didn't think she could bear any physical contact at that point other than strong hugs or friendly arms on her shoulders. And it was silently understood, along with so many other things.

She moved back into her old dormitory. The tower chamber felt so barren and silent…And stirred up too many memories. There weren't any words spoken. Her chest was packed and moved back one day during her classes, and she was happy in her old four-poster with the other girls safely sleeping around her.

She ignored the whispers that followed her in corridors, and eventually they dissipated altogether. The days grew longer as her N.E.W.T.s drew nearer. She found herself at times so completely wrapped in her studies that she'd forget the pain. So close to her friends she could laugh again. Time heals all wounds, is the old saying. And Hermione would have never believed its truth mere months ago. But now her wounds turned into scars. The memories were still fresh and could be recalled in an instant…But the pain began to slowly subside, and her lingering fear diminished.

She would have long talks with Harry, after Ron had gone to bed. They understood the feeling of absolute despair and hurt. He poured out to her some things he'd never told, even to Ron, about his feelings after Sirius's death. And Hermione, though more reluctant, her scars still fresh, would share about the clinging pain and vulnerability she felt.

"All magic aside," She whispered to him one night, tears brimming in her eyes as they both sat by the dying fire. "His strength…his rage…Was so terrifying. And I felt so…

So…"

"Helpless." Harry completed the sentence for her, his eyes shining knowingly. Tears trickled down her face as he went on.

"When I stood there…I swear…I could have had all the power in the world…And I still would have been frozen in that instant…When he fell..." Harry's voice faltered, and his eyes overflowed as well and he pressed his forehead to his fist.

They both wept in silence.

After a time they stood, and with an embrace, parted ways and went to their beds.


	16. Oaths

The room was dark. Draco's eyes struggled to adjust in the blackness. So dark it was, that even after several moments of silence his eyes only could make out slight shadowy silhouettes. Suddenly, with a cracking noise, a fire exploded to life in the grate the before him. Its sudden bright light caused him to squint his eyes and turn his face away…When his gaze turned back…He faced the back of a tall armchair. His heart leapt into his throat and all the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. There was no noise in the room except for the crackling of the flames in the fireplace.

In the deep silence that seemed to stretch on for hours…Draco felt his thoughts drifting.

To her…

To what he'd done.

He could still see her face twisted with fear; see her body writhing in disgust from his groping hands. He could feel the sickness…The rage and confusion and hate and desire that had coursed through his veins as he'd torn at her.

Her scream still echoed in his mind.

He'd awoken in a storm of shouting voices. McGonagall was one, Dumbledore another…another…His father. He'd opened his eyes for a moment to see them standing, faces red arguing, their shouts piercing his head, which ached intensely. He still felt the effects of the liquor he had drunk, but they were faded now, and his skull felt like it was splitting in two. Dumbledore and McGonagall stood near his bed and his father on the other side, all of them pale faced, and furious. Snape sat nearby, silently, his lips in a cold line. Draco clenched his eyes shut, hoping no one had seen him. Perhaps he could lie like this forever…He slowly remembered in a blur all that had happened. Cold fear and self-hatred stabbed his heart. He wished for his wand….For anything…Something sharp would do. How swiftly he would turn it on himself, just if he could get his fingers around it.

Slowly the shouting voices around him began to be less garbled in his haze. They were arguing over him…Things about the ministry…expulsion…And Draco felt numbness spreading from the tips of his toes upward. He began to shiver uncontrollably. He couldn't stop. He tried to hold himself still, but it seemed involuntary…And slowly the shouting stopped.  
He opened his eyes blearily at last, looking at the faces that stared down on him. 

Draco was snapped out of memories suddenly, with a sharp crack from the fire. A log popped suddenly, a spray of sparks flying up the chimney.

"You are here because your father has forced you to be." A cold voice suddenly said, and Draco's heart stilled in his chest.

"Under normal circumstances," The voice continued "I would consider this a waste of my time."

Draco swallowed, but it did nothing to help the dryness in his mouth that spread down his throat.

"But in your case…I sense a darkness in you. Yes…More than blind faith and honor…" He almost hissed. "I see promise."

Slowly a figure rose from the tall chair before him. He saw the back of a hooded head, clothed in black, a frame rising, tall, and narrow. Draco's breath caught in his throat, as slowly the man turned to face him.

Red eyes gleamed through the darkness, and white skin stretched taut over a rounded skull, covered in a shadowy cloak.

Draco released a sharp breath, and then slowly knelt before the dark figure.

"I swear on my life to serve you, Lord Voldemort." Draco spoke, resigning his fate.

A cold, long fingered hand wrapped around his elbow and bade him rise. The red eyes locked with ice blue.

"Welcome."


	17. Denoument

N.E.W.T.s were long and exhausting, but at the end of their last day of testing Hermione felt a wonderful lightness within her. She lay outside on the grass under a tree by the lake in the balmy air and Ron and Harry flopped down next to her on either side. Bees hummed lazily through the air, and the water's stillness rippled gently with small glimmering edges of the squid's tentacles cresting above the broken surface. The sky was a brilliant blue, scattered with cottony wisps of cloud, the sun shone down warm and bright, and all of them felt extremely tired, content, and all at once nostalgic.

"This is it." Harry said softly. "This is the last time we'll ever do this here. Celebrate the end of all our exams….The beginning of summer."

They paused, all looking up at the sky and recalling the times they'd shared for the past 7 years of their lives.

"It's the end." Said Ron, a little sadly.

"No." Hermione replied slowly. She turned her head and looked over at Ron, and smiled.  
"It's just the beginning." 

Her hand and his met, and their fingers intertwined with a gentle squeeze. She looked over at Harry who smiled back at them, and closed her eyes.

Just the beginning.


End file.
